Exeter City chairman Julian Tagg wants more protection for lower league clubs that are losing players, like Jay Stansfield (inset) due to EPPP

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Exeter chairman Julian Tagg has spoken of his growing frustration that City's talented youngsters are being snapped up by bigger teams and leaving clubs like the Grecians shortchanged.

Tagg's comments come when it emerged that 16-year-old striker Jay Stansfield has opted not to sign the club's offer of a two-year apprenticeship at St James Park and join Championship side Fulham's Under 18 side instead.

City have received compensation for the role they have played in developing Stansfield, but after seeing similar happen with Ethan Ampadu, who also rejected an offer from City to join Premier League Chelsea, Tagg is growing increasingly frustrated that a Category 3 Academy like Exeter's is not being fairly compensated when it produces such gems.

“While Fulham have paid above what we would likely get in an arbitration fee from the Professional Football Compensation Committee, and therefore it was sensible for the club to accept, the ability for football clubs, with much bigger resources at their disposal, to take young players from successful academies like Exeter City at a fraction of the cost of which they are valued, is a problem that football still needs to solve," the City chief passionately said.

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“We, like many clubs, feel the Elite Performance Player Plan’s rules – which fix transfer fees between academies – is heavily weighted in favour of sides higher up the football pyramid and ignores clubs like Exeter City, which do a tremendous job in producing talented young footballers.

“We, of course, must praise the fine work of all of our staff at Exeter City Academy who continue to work tirelessly to develop the next group of excellent footballers and well-rounded young men.

“However, those efforts are being undermined by the current system in place and we will continue to work with the Football League to find a solution to this. And that is not just for our Academy, but for all those coaches and staff around Leagues One and Two, who continue to work hard to produce the next generation of talented footballers for the English game.

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“The club would like to place on record its thanks to Jay and his family for their hard work and dedication to Exeter City and we wish them all the very best for the future.

“Every effort was made to keep Jay at the club, but our ethos has always been to put the player's wishes first and the move to a category one club in Fulham was what was felt best for Jay, by both him and his family, and we look forward to following his continued success in the game.”

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Of course Stansfield's move ends any romantic notion that, for now at least, he will wear the number nine shirt which has been retired for the past nine seasons in tribute to his father, Adam, the popular former striker who passed away at the age of 31 in August 2010.

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Stansfield jnr caught the eye in a Youth Cup victory over Plymouth Argyle for the Grecians last season and one can only wish the young man well as he leaves Devon and takes the next turn on what will hopefully be a long career path in football.

Such is the attachment City - and the club's fans - have with the Stansfield family, and the Adam Stansfield Foundation, which was set up following Adam's passing, they will undoubtedly follow the career path of Jay with great interest.

Whatever Stansfield's reasons are for wanting to head to Fulham, they must be respected, but Tagg is equally right in pointing out the shabby way lower league clubs get treated in such situations.

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The Elite Player Performance Plan (EPPP) is a long-term strategy with the aim of developing more and better home-grown players, which was introduced in 2012. It was voted on by clubs in the EFL and there were 46 votes in favour, 22 against, three no-shows and one abstention.

Many EFL clubs felt they were bullied into accepting the Premier League's proposal because had they voted no, the Premier League threatened to withdraw over £5 million of funding that they give to lower league clubs each year for youth development.